This extensive biography explores the life of President Harry Truman and the major events in which he was involved. Well researched using archival materials and numerous interviews, this book captures the personality of Truman and the essence of the times in which he lived. It covers his childhood in Missouri, his service in Europe in World War I, and his participation in the Pendergast political machine in Kansas City. It describes the profound issues he had to deal with as president, such as the decisions to drop the atomic bomb on Japan and to send troops into Korea. The author believes that in acting on those issues, Truman did his best and most often arrived at the correct solutions. Information on many of Truman’s contemporaries, such as Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill, and George Marshall, also appears in this biography.